Ramifications of the MBP's very high temps (or, a means to this topics end)

I own a 2011 MBP (2.2 quad-core) which, of course, gets really hot. I also have about 2.5 years of applecare coverage left.

We all know the machines get very hot, with the CPU consistently reaching 95% of its rated temperature. We also know that Apple could apply the TIM in a more effective way.

My concern is this: If my "logic board" is going to fail, I hope it does so within the next 2.5 years.

I'd like to reapply the TIM, but I dont want to void my applecare. Ive read of several people reapplying the TIM without any geniuses noticing. So Im tempted to do the same. Im confident in my ability to not mess anything up in the process, but the chance of an apple tech noticing if/when I have to bring my machine in for service makes me very hesitant.

So, what are your thoughts on the longevity of the 2011 MBP's that are routinely reaching 96* celsius? I know this is highly dependent on individual chip, as well as many other factors, but in general, what are the chances of it lasting 3 years, 5 years, 1 year, etc...

Ive done a lot of searching, but I have seen nothing that addresses this issue in these regard. I simply want to know whether its likely for us to see an abundance of 2011 MBP logic boards failing in two or three years, or not.

Unless it's shutting down it's not an issue. 99% of the heat complaints on this forum are not actually problems, just perceived problems.

Click to expand...

Agreed. My MBP has always ran hot; I just got used to it. If your logic board gives out because of high temperatures, it will happen well within the first three years, so there is nothing to worry about!

Your Mac is not overheating. The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat (around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor). iStat Pro will give you accurate readings of your temps, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in your Mac, your temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload you're putting on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If they're spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help. Also, make sure you don't block the vents, which are located at the rear, near the hinge.

Launch Activity Monitor and change "My Processes" at the top to "All Processes". Then look to see what apps may be placing high demands on your CPU/GPU.

There is not an overheating problem with Mac portables. There is only a perceived overheating problem. That's partly due to the fact that the aluminum casing transfers heat better than some other notebook materials, so they may feel hotter to the touch than notebooks made of other materials. It may even become hot enough to be uncomfortable to rest on your lap. This, too, is normal. Because a user is unfamiliar with the heat normally generated by a Mac portable doesn't mean there's a problem with the Mac. Only on rare occasions is there a defect that causes true overheating.

You should also know that there are dozens, if not hundreds of existing threads on this topic, easily found by a simple search of the forum. You'll learn more by reading a few of those than you will by starting a new thread and waiting for people to post the same responses they've posted many times before.

If your laptop is not shutting down all the time, you're fine. Sure, excessive heat is bad for your electronics. But as said a million times already: " The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat." That's it. End if story.

What Apple laptop has NOT run hot? Are there still many, many Apple laptops older than 3 years in service? YUP.

I appreciate where you are coming from but then why do people using throttle stopping programs have such significant gains? The MBPs throttle heavily when the cpu and gpu are both loaded. There is a problem with the MBP and other laptops being unable to handle the amount of heat put off by current CPUs and videocards.

I appreciate where you are coming from but then why do people using throttle stopping programs have such significant gains? The MBPs throttle heavily when the cpu and gpu are both loaded. There is a problem with the MBP and other laptops being unable to handle the amount of heat put off by current CPUs and videocards.

Click to expand...

No, there isn't a problem. Apple notebooks do handle such temps while continuing to operate quite well. People use such apps because they perceive there's a problem. They think if CPU/GPU temps rise into the 90C+ range during heavy workloads such as gaming that there's a problem. There isn't. Unless the processor is shutting down, it's not overheating, even if it's 96C. The fact that Macs operate normally at temps that may be higher than a user expects does not mean that those temps are problematic.

I had similar concerns, but after reading numerous threads where people were ridiculed for thinking their computers were going to die, I decided to take a look at my fans. I opened up my computer and found a coating of dust all over the insides. I took a vacuum with a hose and vacuumed around the back of the MBP where the vents are and directly on the fans, and got a lot of dust out of them. Since then I've noticed that my temperatures have never gotten high enough for the fans to have to spin at high RPMs, even when the MBP is running laborious programs for a long time.

While that may not answer your questions about logic boards, I do believe that regular maintenance may increase the longevity of your MBP's internal components.

Manufacturer specifications are to be taken with a grain of salt. Many times you buy something labeled "premium" and it breaks as soon as you get home. Many manufacturers make invalid claims.

To say nothing is wrong with temperatures of 90 degrees Celsius is wrong. Sure the chip can withstand temperatures of up to 105 degrees without breaking (shuts off automatically) but can the chip withstand sustained temperatures near that? Heat kills almost everything inside a computer and a computer that runs 10 degrees warmer than another computer will have a statistically greater chance of breaking.

Take a car for example. The speedometer says it can run at a maximum of 220 km/h at 7,000 rpm but put the car on blocks and run it at 170 km/h (5000rpm) and see what it does to the engine. The car will not last as long, neither will an overheated computer.

No, there isn't a problem. Apple notebooks do handle such temps while continuing to operate quite well. People use such apps because they perceive there's a problem. They think if CPU/GPU temps rise into the 90C+ range during heavy workloads such as gaming that there's a problem. There isn't. Unless the processor is shutting down, it's not overheating, even if it's 96C. The fact that Macs operate normally at temps that may be higher than a user expects does not mean that those temps are problematic.

Click to expand...

I think you are either confused or ignorant of the benchmarks that have been done to prove that these machines throttle.

okay, let's say that your CPU's theoretical max temp is 105C, which is around correct. 95% of that is 99.75C. My MBP has never gotten hotter than 88C, even when running handbrake (which runs all cores and all virtual cores basically at 100%.) So is your MBP actually getting that hot, or are you just saying that?

okay, let's say that your CPU's theoretical max temp is 105C, which is around correct. 95% of that is 99.75C. My MBP has never gotten hotter than 88C, even when running handbrake (which runs all cores and all virtual cores basically at 100%.) So is your MBP actually getting that hot, or are you just saying that?

Click to expand...

Thermal shutdown is actually at 130c, and yes, I have seen my CPU at 99c before.

How about this: Go start a game up and watch your CPU speed, play for a little bit until it starts lagging and go look at your CPU speed. It will probably have dropped to 800mhz.

Manufacturer specifications are to be taken with a grain of salt. Many times you buy something labeled "premium" and it breaks as soon as you get home. Many manufacturers make invalid claims.

To say nothing is wrong with temperatures of 90 degrees Celsius is wrong. Sure the chip can withstand temperatures of up to 105 degrees without breaking (shuts off automatically) but can the chip withstand sustained temperatures near that? Heat kills almost everything inside a computer and a computer that runs 10 degrees warmer than another computer will have a statistically greater chance of breaking.

Take a car for example. The speedometer says it can run at a maximum of 220 km/h at 7,000 rpm but put the car on blocks and run it at 170 km/h (5000rpm) and see what it does to the engine. The car will not last as long, neither will an overheated computer.

Click to expand...

Actually, when it comes to Apple products they are quite conservative with their claims. Same goes for Intel. Any high performance machine or machine run at it's maximum for long periods will last less long than one that is babied, what is your point? You want a Ferrari that goes 180 all the time, but you don't want it to ever break? Sorry. Stop looking at the temperature gauges all the time.

Take a car for example. The speedometer says it can run at a maximum of 220 km/h at 7,000 rpm but put the car on blocks and run it at 170 km/h (5000rpm) and see what it does to the engine. The car will not last as long, neither will an overheated computer.

Click to expand...

since i am a mechanical engineering student, i must contradict this. I can run my car at 5000 RPM for about 5 hours (i've done it) without doing any damage to the engine. the factor for engine damage depends on the engine that the car has, what kind of oil is in it, and about 50 other factors.

since i am a mechanical engineering student, i must contradict this. I can run my car at 5000 RPM for about 5 hours (i've done it) without doing any damage to the engine. the factor for engine damage depends on the engine that the car has, what kind of oil is in it, and about 50 other factors.

Click to expand...

I agree with Guitar. Just the simple fact that there is 0 airflow to your radiator if you put the car on blocks. That's equivalent to throttling up your mac without a fan, only ambient air...and in that case your right, it wouldn't last long.

I agree with Guitar. Just the simple fact that there is 0 airflow to your radiator if you put the car on blocks. That's equivalent to throttling up your mac without a fan, only ambient air...and in that case your right, it wouldn't last long.

Click to expand...

right, but your forgot about the radiator fans (which probably wouldn't work very well if you had your engine running at 5k, but I was driving so i had plenty of airflow)

Thermal shutdown is actually at 130c, and yes, I have seen my CPU at 99c before.

How about this: Go start a game up and watch your CPU speed, play for a little bit until it starts lagging and go look at your CPU speed. It will probably have dropped to 800mhz.

Click to expand...

I have this problem on my 2010 15in MBP. My computer gets so hot Heroes of Newerth starts to slow down (not a graphically stressful game). Took it to the genius bar and they took me for an idiot and refused to repair it. Anyways, still experiencing heat related problems till this day...and Its definitely not iStat making me paranoid, I'm taking performance hits every day.

MacRumors attracts a broad audience
of both consumers and professionals interested in
the latest technologies and products. We also boast an active community focused on
purchasing decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac platforms.